


Gaara's Soulguide AU

by witchbreaker



Series: Dreaming of Roads Unwalked Snippets [9]
Category: Dreaming of Sunshine, Naruto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-07
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 13:46:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9610073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchbreaker/pseuds/witchbreaker
Summary: Soul guides are spirits of the gone who guide the living. It can be anyone from family to stranger to a long lost enemy. How they are chosen, no one knows. Even if they did, they would never have guessed that the First Hokage would be come a soul guide to the Kazekage's youngest son.





	1. In the Beginning There is Choice or Hashirama decides to help out and Gaara has to deal with it

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, so Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen has a pretty vibrant fandom and I've been writing AUs for it in the forum for years. I've decided to start posting the AUs to my AO3 account so that I can get them all in one place and update whenever I feel like it without disturbing the flow of the threads.
> 
> This AU is called the Gaara and Hashirama AU. You can find the beginning of it in the We're All Just Dreaming of Sunshine forum, Soulmark Fic and Discussion Thread, post #2893 aka page 97.

How soul guides get picked is a mystery even to the soul guides. One moment you're waiting in the edge between the Impure World and the Pure World and the next you're being tugged away. Hashimara is an exception to this rule. Well, he's always been an exception. Rules and him just don't get along. So, as he sits waiting in the In-between, he feels a tug from multiple directions. He doesn't know the details of who is on the other side of each pull but he does get a feel.

One soul is like him. Burning with determination that only comes from the world sucking and enough energy to power the sun.

One soul is not like him. It is like his once friend Madara. Back when Madara was a kid not dedicated to destruction. Like kindling that has only just started to burn. The right hand could turn it into a bonfire or a forest fire.

One soul is very, very much not like him. Hashirama would say it's the complete opposite. However, there is pain coupled with anger and desperation. There is goodness underneath it all but it is dying. He sits in the In-between and knows that this soul will become twisted without help.

For other people, this would have been a difficult choice. One soul feels like home, another like a friend, and another a trial. Hashirama doesn't think before making up his mind.

He always goes where he is needed.

~

Gaara wanted a soul guide. Even when it turned out his soul guide was an energetic ninja from another land, he still wanted him. Because, Hashi-san, never shies away from him. He's a wealth of patiences and knowledge especially for a four year old. They play together with Gaara's sand. Yashamaru watches unendingly but he doesn't find it weird that his nephew is essentially playing with a ghost. Hashi-san says it's because he helping show Gaara how to conscientiously manipulate his sand instead of just doing things on instinct.

(No matter what anyone else says, Hashimara did not immediately know how to control his blood limit. Tobimaru had scars from his older brothers attempts to get it down. It was made worse by the fact that no one else in the clan could do what he could do. Hashimara had not guide line. No hints. Just his gut feeling and the die or fly method of training that his father used. Gaara's father _should_ be teaching him but the man is avoiding his son like he is diseased. It reminds Hashimara far too much of his own father while he was alive. But, anyway, someone has to teach Gaara so he stops hurting people by accident and Hashimara is more than up to the task.)

Gaara wouldn't care about getting better, why does he need to think about moving the sand when it bends to his will anyway? but as he gets better, Father visits him. He brings Gaara's siblings too and Hashi-san laughs at the fact that Gaara is the littlest one. Gaara has no idea why this is funny. Hashi-san says something about irony before telling him to say hi to his siblings. Gaara does and they say hi back. Kind of. Temari does at least and Kankuro kind of mumbles it. They look at him like the other kids do. Like he's a freak. Hashi-san urges him to ignore it and ask them to play. Gaara does and Father shoots the idea down.

But a few days later, Yashamaru lets Temari into their house and she plays with him. Gaara is absolutely overjoyed. He smiles a real smile and uses the feeling to shut Shukaku out for days.

(It took an incredibly long time to convince Gaara that the other voice inside his head wasn't his mother but a demon sealed within him. Partly because Hashirama had to give him the birds and the bees talk, used metaphors based on plants that don't grow in the desert, and that just didn't go well. Good thing Yashamaru sorted it out. It took even longer for Hashirama to explain that Gaara wasn't a demon and get the kid to agree that he wasn't a bad person. It was one of the sadder conversation that Hashirama had had. It took talking about his wife, late wife now, and thinking about Mito's burden was never a happy thought.)

Gaara grows slowly. He makes friends slowly. People stop running away from him slowly. But it still happens. His first flesh and blood friends are Temari and Kankuro. Others are fleeting and mostly older ninja. They deal with the stoic boy's power and abilities better than others. His Father never warms to him but as he grows older, Gaara needs it less. It helps that Hashi-san tells him that his dad is an asshole. Despite his wackiness and lack of decorum, Hashi-san is usually right when it comes to people. It's his insight that Gaara depends on as he tries his best to become part of Suna. Not just it's weapon.

"Have you ever thought about becoming Kazekage?" Hashi-san asks him one day.

"No." Gaara answers. The thought never crossed his mind. Father is Kazekage and he is still young enough to find the idea of another taking his place odd.

"You'd be a good one. You've got the drive and the smarts!" Hashi-san seems oddly excited by this idea. "Plus the power and wicked good poker face."

"Were you a Hokage?" Gaara asks. He knows that Hashi-san is from Konoha, that he had a wife that was a jinchuriki, one brother who made it past the age of twelve, and a friend who betrayed him. Otherwise, his life before becoming Gaara's soul guide is a mystery. Gaara could find out who he is but he respects Hashi-san's privacy. Enough to refuse to tell anyone else more than his soul guide's nickname. Gaara doesn't care where Hashi-san came from or what he did before. All that he has done for Gaara has earned him the boy's friendship a thousand times over.

To the question, Hashi-san just grins that incredibly dorky grin and changes the subject. The conversation stops but Gaara thinks about it. Kazekage. The Fifth Kazekage. The shadow that protects all of Suna. The idea sinks into his head and refuses to leave.

(Hashirama doesn't know how he ended up guiding a soul so opposite to him. The kid's stoic and unimpressed unless he's feeling completely overwhelmed which is a lot less now that he's not a baby anymore. Gaara's patient and studious unless you piss him off. Then he soaks his sand in his enemies blood. Hashimara isn't concerned about the last part. The kid is dedicated to only hurting his enemies and the First Hokage has done a lot worse to his own. Hashirama wasn't joking when he said he thought Gaara would make a good Kazekage. Better than his dad at least. The man only sees power and whether or not he can use it. Gaara sees people. The boy still dreams of peace. Something his father has let go of a long time ago.)

"We will be invading Konoha during the Chunin Exams." The Kazekage decrees. Gaara sees his soul guide pale. Before Hashirama can turn furious, Gaara has already opened his mouth.

"No."

The entire room goes silent.

"What did you say?" His father wrath is forming a visible image in the air.

"I will not be part of any invasion of Konokhagukre." Gaara's voice is firm and he does not back down. Suna needs him if the invasion is to be successful. He is their trump card. He is stronger than even his father nowadays. Which means they cannot make him do anything.

"Why?" Baki-san is the only one who dares ask. Gaara contemplates on telling them that his soul guide is from there and he will not attack his soul guides home. Hashimara has a different suggestion.

"Give them a good reason to hold back." He tells Gaara. "Tell them that Suna has more to gain if they become friends with Konoha. Alliances will keep their people more safe than war. Konoha can convince the Wind Daimyo to send more of his jobs to Suna."

"The risks are too high." Gaara tells them. "We will loose too many people for too little gain. It would be better to forge an alliance with Konohakagure."

Father glare has never been this poisonous. "Konoha will only see us beg and give us table scraps."

"I do not believe so. The Third has extended hands of friendship before. If we except then we can convince them to turn the Daimyo our way." His words are being listened to but he sees that they are having little impact. "Cloud is gearing for war too." Rumors that he has heard in the night when people forget he is awake. That strikes home. "Even if we defeat Konohagakure we will be easily dealt with by the Raikage. Alliance is the only option that saves us."

"Even Rock would be better than Leaf." An elder puts forth.

"Then we will talk with Rock too." Gaara doesn't need Hashirama's suggestion to jump on that. "But we can use the Chunin Exams as a cover so that no one will know what we intent." He looks his father dead in the eye. "You were the one who taught me surprise is our greatest asset. An invasion during the Chunin Exams is not a surprise."

"This is folly." Father grits out at him.

"No more folly than attempting a war without your jinchuriki." Gaara shoots back. The tension in the room is suffocating. One of the older councilor is trying not to cough from it.

"You will fight with us."

"I will _not._ " Hashi-san is cheering him. Not audibly because that would mean Gaara would miss what the others are saying but it is in every fiber of his being. "I will not endanger Suna by entering a war that will destroy it."

Gold dust floats through the air and Gaara's sand joins it. They reach a standstill that day. And the next. And every single one until literally the last day possible to leave and still get to Konoha in time for the Exams.

"If you fail," Father says without explanation. Gaara doesn't need one to know what he is talking about. "I will bring our army with us in to the Finals."

"I will not fail." Gaara says and takes the concession. With that, Father sweeps out of the room. Temari and Kankuro breath a sigh of relief.

"Thirty days." His sister mumbles. That is how much time they have to broker an alliance.

"We will succeed." He tells them.

"You definitely will." Hashi-san says.


	2. Where Gaara Builds an Alliance That Will Change The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> or How to become friends with Leaf in 30 days or less

**Day One:**

The Sand Siblings arrive in Konohagakure the day before the Chunin Exams are suppose to start. Their task never seems so monumental until they are being allowed in through the massive gates by two cold guards. Gaara thinks about his father's condition and questions himself. Hashi-san has told him a lot about the culture of Leaf but even he admitted it might be out of date. He died at least a generation ago. If not two. Still, Hashi-san had insisted that the way to an alliance was through extending friendship. Economic or political overtures wouldn't work in a place where teamwork was the center of their doctrine. Especially considering Suna's attitude towards Leaf in the last decade.

Gaara makes it past the gates and stops. His eyes immediately go up. Baki-Sensei miss interprets his silence as awe.

"The monument to the Hokages. The first is the one on the far left and the rest or in order." He tells them.

"Well, it certainly is impressive." Kankuro mutters. Gaara just continues to stare. He then looks to his soul guide with a very _un_ -impressed look. Hashi-san, no Hashirama Senju, gives him a sheepish smile.

"I did tell you my name." He points out. Gaara just continues to stare at him. Completely conveying that telling a four year old, who could not pronounce it worth a damn, was not the same as mentioning that you founded one of the Great Hidden Villages. Eventually, Gaara just sighs and they continue on.

The meeting with the Hokage goes...not exactly badly. He clearly is only meeting them out of courtesy. The Third Hokage is polite and his demands regarding their behavior while inside Konohagakure's walls reasonable. He speaks with Baki-sensei mostly which is unsurprising considering how young the Sand Siblings are. Only in Suna does anyone address them over Baki-sensei. Gaara takes the time to judge the Third Hokage attempting to figure out a way to approach the man about an alliance. He is apparently the student of Hashi-san's brother. His soul guide is knows him and Gaara thinks he can see the kind, brave man that once followed the Second Hokage into battle in the elderly man who is pleasant if distant to them. Still, who knows how much he has changed since Hasi-san's death? There is nothing gained in this meeting but there is also nothing lost. Gaara wants to approach him only when he has something to convince the Third of their honesty.

"You should find the building for the Exams tomorrow." Baki-sensei tells them. It is sound advice. "I will see what I can learn from the Leaf Jonin." It probably won't be much but even if they just figure out how the Leaf feel about Suna could mean a lot.

The Sand Siblings walk at a leisurely pace towards what they think is the Academy that the Hokage mentioned. They feel eyes watching them but nobody moves against them. They find the building and are heading back when something interesting happens. A child, pre-Genin definitely, comes careening around a corner. Kankuro turns so that he doesn't slam into him but the child in question attempts to stop at the same time and ends up hitting him anyway.

"Oooww." Kid says as he lands on his back.

"Watch where you are going." Kankuro snaps. Gaara knows he wants to say something more but he is trying to behave. Which is good because five others come around the corner quickly and three of them are ninja. A dark haired girl stops first. She looks to their faces and then their headbands. Gaara thinks he sees recognition in her eyes but he dismisses it. The others certainly don't.

"Hey! Don't talk to me like that!" The boy shouts, leaping to his feet. The Leaf Kunoichi grabs him and pulls him back.

"What are you doing here?" A blonde Genin demands.

"We are here for the Chunin Exams." Gaara says, pulling out his papers. Any Leaf ninja is allowed to question their presence and deal with them as they see fit. He hopes by cooperating that they can head off any unpleasantness.

"That's a Nara." Hashi-san says from his shoulder. Serious for once. "They are, were, the vassals for the Akimichi Clan. The black haired boy is a Uchiha and...I'd pay attention to the blond." Gaara wants to ask him why but it's too open.

"Chunin Exams?" The blond asks liking he's questioning what it is rather than their presence. The girl gives him a signal that she's tell him later.

"This is far from the foreign lodgings. Did you have a problem finding them?" She asks as the three younger kids move behind them. She isn't exactly covering them but they aren't giving the impression that they trust the Sand Siblings to be within arms reach.

"No, we were merely finding the building where the First Exam will be held." Gaara informs her.

"Ah. Well," She doesn't seem to be thrown off kilter by the presence of foreign ninja in her village. Does Leaf not allow foreigners to enter outside of Exams? That doesn't seem to mesh with what Gaara knows about them. "Good luck with the Exams. Come on, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon. We should play somewhere's else."

They leave and the Sand Siblings also continue on their way.

"Not bad." Kankuro says.

"But not good." Gaara adds. Temari hmms at that.

"Might be something to work with if they were talking part in the Exam." She says. Gaara agrees but he doubts that they are. Surely, they would have already been informed if that was the case and the blond certainly didn't know what it was.

Baki-sensei tells them much the same. His presence was greeted with neutrality or dismissal. Suna isn't hated in Konohagakure but neither is it liked. He openly states that he does not think that Leaf will believe their overture of friendship and they have nothing that they can offer the Leaves to change their mind. Hashi-san is still optimistic though and Gaara draws from that.

"What is special about the blond?" He asks while the others sleep.

"Probably nothing." His soul guide says. "He's just interesting."

Gaara drops the subject. It probably has something to do with Konohagakure that no foreigner should know. Still, Gaara will keep an eye on him. Hashi-san usually isn't wrong about people.

~

**Day Two:**

The first Exam is filled with Leaf ninja. All of them give the Sand Siblings a wide berth. Whether it is because they know of Gaara or just imitating the older Genin it is still unhelpful. The only good sign is that the team that they met earlier apparently is taking part in the Exam. Their names are Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, and Shikako Nara.

"The Shika title is only given to Clan Heirs." Hashi-san tells him. That's one bit of good news. Gaara has apparently made a good impression on a Clan Heir. Shikako at least returns his nod. He wants to go over but the team is quickly surrounded by fellow Leaf ninja and then the Exam is on. The Sand Siblings need to pass all the stages. If they fail one they will be forced to leave Konohagakure immediately. Failure is unlikely but it means that Gaara needs to focus on the test in front of him.

....Or not. None of this makes any sense to him and a quick glance up tells him that Hashi-san is equally lost.

"Math was Tobimaru's strong point."

Cheating it is. Gaara forms an eye and gets the answers from a Rock ninja. It would not be a good idea to target a Leaf. Once his are complete, he uses his sand to manipulate Kankuro's and Tamara's pencils. They are both finished within the hour and none are called on for cheating. Naruto Uzumaki proves to be interesting with his loud retort to the examiner when questioned whether or not he would continue. Hashi-san looks at him fondly and Gaara gets the feeling that he did something similar when he was young.

A woman crashes through the window and disses the previous examiner before informing everyone to meet with her tomorrow at Training Ground 44. Gaara is beginning to realize that Leaf ninja have a very different sense of respect that Suna does. Hashi-san's attitude is apparently par for the course instead of the outlier that Gaara assumed.

"Training Ground 44...? I guess that must be habitable now." Gaara gives Hashi-san a questioning look. "It was where I use to play around the my blood limit. And ninjutsu. And Tobimaru did a couple experiments on the wildlife there. We blocked it off before any of it could run wild."

"So it is dangerous." Gaara states.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Hashi-san says which means that it is twice as dangerous as Gaara thought it was. Speaking of Hashi-san, Gaara is going to have to inform his team who his soul guide is. He'll need Hash-san's expertise when it comes to their arena tomorrow and he cannot have his siblings questioning his knowledge.

Luckily, they only question his sanity.

 _"Hashirama Senju?"_ Kankuro demands when he realizes that Gaara isn't joking around. "You're soul guide is Hashirama Senju?!"

"Yes."

_"How?"_

"Does anyone know how soul guides are chosen?" Gaara answers. That shuts Kankuro up.

"He is why you won't attack Leaf isn't it?" Temari is looking at him like she is questioning his loyalties. He can understand why but he is loyal to Suna always and forever.

"I will not because it would ruin Suna." He tells her. "All I said before is true. Father thinks he is winning a battle when all he is doing is starting a war. A war we cannot win. I will not help him do so. Hashirama being my soul guide only confirms that I was never suppose to." "He is the First Hokage. Can you trust what he tells you?" Baki-sense asks.

"He has never ask me to do anything that did not benefit Suna." And he hasn't. Hashirama may keep secrets from him but the advice he gives is to help the young jinchuriki and make his village a strong one. That does not seem to molify Baki. Gaara cannot exactly blame him. How can he be sure when a foreign ninja has had access to his student since the age of four? Gaara will just have to prove that his fears are unfounded. "Regardless, Hashirama is a resource that I will use not only in this Exam. Our goals have not changed."

"Has he told you anything useful?" Temari asks.

"He says that the girl we ran into the day before is the Heir of the Nara Clan. She seems to be at least mildly open to us."

"On a team with the last Uchiha means she is important." Temari muses.

"Not necessarily. The blond didn't seem like anyone." Kankuro says.

"Unless he is truly the last of the Uzumaki." Gaara points out. "They were Leaf's oldest ally."

"You look more like a Uzumaki than he did." Kankuro retorts. "But I guess he might be an in-law or something. Got the name but not the blood."

"It would not be the first time such a thing has happened." Baki-sensei says. "Either way, I suggest you approach the team tomorrow. Where one of the Akimichi-Nara-Yamanaka go, the others follow. What do you know about the next Exam?"

"A survival mission." Kankuro answers.

"Hashi-san said that the area we will be going into is one he and his brother use to experiment in. I suspect that the environment will give us more trouble than the ninja."

"Helping this team through the Exam will be your best option." Baki-sensei suggests and Hashi-san agrees. "If the Second Exam does not take more than a few days you can use the friendship from that until the last Exam at the end of the month."

"Are you sure it will be a tournament?" Temari questions.

"I can only recall a handful of times where it wasn't. Leaf will want to show the world that they have recovered from the Kyubi Attack and the loss of the Uchiha Clan. A tournament on their home ground is the best way to do that."

It sounds as good as a plan as they had before arriving. Gaara hopes it will be enough.


	3. AKA shit gets real and honesty matters

**Day Three through Five**

Training Grounds 44 is more intimidating than Gaara imagined it would be. The trees are on par with Shukaku's full height and there is an aura of wild growth to it. He can see why it is called the Forest of Death. It puts his soul guide's skills into perspective. It was one thing to know that Hashi-san was capable of reducing armies to fertilizer; it is a different thing to see what he was capable when he was merely 'messing around.'

Their task for this Exam is complicated. They have to retrieve a scroll that is the opposite of the one they received and then get to a tower within three days. Normally, this would not be a problem but building an alliance with Leaf can't happen if the Sand Siblings attack their ninja. This means that the majority of the competitors are out. That leaves only one team from Waterfall, two teams from Rain, and one team from Sound. Finding four teams in an ten kilometer area without running into any other teams will be a problem. That is, of course, assuming that any of those four has the scroll they need. If they don't...

"Cross that bridge when you get to it." Hashi-san advises him. Clearly seeing what was going through Gaara's mind.

"We need to get it first." Temari says as they wait for the start signal.

"It would be better to meet up with them first." Kankuro counters. "They'll be more likely to believe we need _their_ help."

"We can't become friends in three days. We need to make sure that we are here until the Finals."

"It is way too suspicious if we join up with them after we've got everything we need."

"Not if one of us pretends to be injured. We can tell them we need their help getting to the tower in one piece. Wind Country is so different from Fire Country. They might buy that the terrain is getting to us."

"Only one Rain team has the scroll we require." Gaara informs them as he disperses his spying jutsu. "We will attack them and then find Team 7."

Kankuro frowns but doesn't argue. He can't really. If more teams fit their requirements it might be worth it to find Team 7 first but with only one option, they can't risk it.

Finding that Rain team turns out to be as tedious and stressful as Gaara predicted. They have to criss-cross the Forest of Death and back peddle multiple times in order to avoid Leaf teams. By the time they have both scrolls the sun has started to set. There is another argument on whether to wait until dawn or continue looking. Gaara takes Kankuro's suggestion this time and they push on. About three hours into their search, they come across a hallway of destruction that no Genin should be capable of.

"Holy shit." Kankuro says softly.

"Wind jutsu, fire jutsu," Temari notes as she surveys the destruction. "Some sort of summons if the claw marks and snake scales are any indication."

"Fire jutsu is a Uchiha favorite." Gaara notes. Temari squints at the burn marks.

"A Genin might be able to do that." She says. "But not a real Genin." Only someone like him who is a Genin in name only. "But even Baki-sensei would have problems pulling off that Wind jutsu."

"Why do I have a feeling that Team 7 was in the middle of this?" Kankuro asks the air. His siblings don't respond but they have the sinking feeling that he is correct. It would be just their luck.

"There's no bodies." Hashi-san points out. "Everyone walked away from this."

Comforting. Or not depending on who was fighting.

"We need search the area." Gaara says. There is no arguing over that. They scourer everything within a mile radius. It is on the end of their trip that they come across Shikako Nara setting up traps in front of a tree. From the flickers of moonlight that make it through the canopy, Gaara can see she is using her shadow to set them.

"What do you want?" Shikako turns and calls out to them. Gaara is not certain how she identified them but she is definitely looking him in the eyes. A flash of moonlight shows him her's. They are exhausted but he has no doubt that if he made the wrong move she'd attempt to kill him.

"We wish to help." He tells her.

" _Why?_ " The rawness in her voice surprises him. "Sand hates Konoha."

There are many things Gaara could say in this moment. He has discussed it with Temari, Kankuro, and Hashi-san extensively. Staring at Shikako Nara's battered but not broken form makes the choice clear.

"We want an alliance." He tells her. She jerks at the truth.

"What?"

"Cloud is gearing for war. Suna cannot survive another Shinobi War as it is. Mist can barely keep itself together and Cloud has never been our friend. We need Leaf if we are going to survive."

"What about Rock?" She points out the flaw in the logic. "They have a better relationship with us than we do. Why not build on that?"

"Our missions aren't going to Rock. If Leaf can convince the Wind Daimyo that he should be dealing with us not them, then we can start rebuilding our forces proper." He points out. It is the same argument he used with his Father. Hopefully, it has more an impact on Nara than it did Father. "We only wish to help." He tells her again, trying to convey the truth of those words as best he can. "If you desire us to leave you in peace we will go but I assure you that our goal is to only help you finish this Exam."

She wavers. Both literally and figuratively. She glances behind her. Gaara thinks there is a cave under the tree roots. Her teammates must be hidden there. She looks back to Gaara then Temari then Kankuro. Finally, she looks over her shoulder where her soul guide must be before turning back to them. The shadow that slid across the ground pulls back until it is curled around her feet.

"Please." She says quietly. They come towards her and Kankuro lights a torch. He lets out a sympathetic hiss when he sees Nara's full condition.

"What do you need?" Gaara asks her.

"I need..." She fades out and looks behind her again. It is most likely she has a concussion. "I need you to help me with, a, a, seal." Gaara is surprised at that. "Sasuke's still forming. There's a chance. It's not good but there's a chance and I, I," She chokes up. Gaara glances at her hands and see that they are broken in multiple places. No wonder she had been using her shadow for the traps. He doubts that she is capable of holding a kunai at the moment.

"I've got paint." Kankuro brings up to save her from further explaining. "Just tell me what to do."

Shikako stumbles towards her teammates. Temari grabs her arm so she doesn't fall and goes inside the tree made cave. Kankuro trails behind them as Gaara stays outside and has his sensory dust float through the air. He can't see what they are doing but he can hear them. It is a good thing that Hashi-san is describing it for him.

"Put the Ying seal there and make sure to connect it to the cross-function part over there." Shikako says.

"Kankuro is drawing the seal along the roof now. It's brilliant!" Hashi-san tells him. "A great blend of Uzumaki and some of the modern stuff I've been seeing."

"No, no, we talked about this." Shikako clearly says to her soul guide. "We need to fully neutralize the Nature Chakra aspect if we have any hope cutting off the soul aspect. A valve type lock is not going to cut it."

"Kankuro's stopped drawing and Temari is holding Shikako up and the torch so that they can see." Hashi-san continues to narrate. "They look lost but I hope that they memorize this. Seals are important! Too much knowledge is lost when a Seal Master dies. Mito use to say that the Uzumaki didn't have libraries, they had people. At least for sealing knowledge. I think they had libraries for other things."

"Put that there and the mark for soul there and copy the one I had you do five minutes ago there."

Time crawls on as whatever seal Shikako needs to complete is massive and complex. Their only luck is that nobody comes into this area. Gaara is sure he can deal with any teams but he'd rather not risk fighting whoever attack Team 7. Eventually, Gaara hears a clear "seal!" come from the cave.

"...Shikako?" Sasuke must be waking up now that whatever was on him as been taken care of. "What's going on?"

Gaara thinks he hears a sniffle but it is quickly stifled. "The Sand team is helping us. You've been attack by a seal but we took care of it."

"What about Naruto?"

"He's still out." Kankuro says. "You want me to try and wake him up? I've got some stuff that should do the trick."

"No." Shikako says firmly. "He'll wake up in his own."

"Who attacked you anyway? They couldn't have been Genin." Temari asks now that the immediate problem has been dealt with. Shikako hesitates to answer but Sasuke doesn't.

"He called himself Orochimaru."

Gaara stiffens. Kankuro sucks in a breath and Temari freezes. The youngest Sand Sibling prays that Leaf assume that their reaction is based on hearing such a fearsome missing nin is at this Exam.

"The Snake Sanin?" Temari asks.

"Yes." Shikako answers.

"She's watching them carefully." Hashi-san tells him. "I think she suspects a connection between Sand and him. The Nara were always the cleverest."

Not good. Not good at all. Forget Shikako's suspicion. What is Orochimaru doing attacking a Leaf team during the Chunin Exam? If he still plans on attacking he has just blown his cover while inside Konohagakure. Has he forsaken the Invasion? Why Team 7? The last Uchiha is a prize to be sure but wouldn't it be better to flat out steal the boy during the Second Exam rather than just mark him? If he killed his teammates and hid the bodies he would have at least two days before anyone suspected something was wrong.

"We should head for the tower immediately." Gaara states. "If he has marked Uchiha then it is likely he will come back. We need more than ourselves to defeat him."

"Think you can run?" Kankuro asks Sasuke. Gaara hears a groan.

"I'm not sure. My chakra feels off."

"There shouldn't be any major side-effects." Shikako tells him. "You'll just have to get use to it."

"Do you have the scrolls you need?" Temari asks.

"Yes. We just need to make it to the tower."

"Kankuro, patch up Nara as best you can." Gaara orders. "I will carry Uzumaki and we will make it to the tower as quickly as possible."

No one offers another suggestion. Kankuro splints Shikako's hands and gives her some of the medicine that he keeps on him. Now that the main catastrophes are over she seems to have trouble keeping her eyes open. Temari offers to carry her but Sasuke takes that task instead. Gaara suggests she go to sleep as he picks Uzumaki up but Shikako insists on staying awake. Apparently, she is a sensor making her their best chance to getting to the tower without running into another team. Between and Sasuke memorizing the map with his Sharingan it should be a simple matter.

The forest is dark and eerie as they move out. The torch is extinguished to give them maximum amount of cover. They skirt around other teams that have bedded down for the night. Gaara quickly subdues several animals that attempt to attack them. Kankuro sneaks off at one point to lay a trap on a team attempting to follow them but he is back soon enough. Naruto wakes up soon after this and nearly head butts Gaara when he does so. Or, he actually does but Gaara's automatic defenses got in the way and it was only Naruto who was hurt. The resulting flailing, accompanied with a kunai, caused Gaara to drop him and back up. Naruto hits the ground then surges to his feet before spotting his teammates.

"What's going on? Where's the snake-guy?"

"Gone." Shikako answers from Sasuke's back. "He did something to Sasuke but I took care of it. The Sand Team is helping us get to the tower."

Naruto looks at the Sand Siblings seriously before grinning. "I knew you guys were okay! Thanks for the help!"

Gaara is strongly reminded of Hashi-san but merely says. "You're welcome. We need to continue moving."

"Yeah, okay! You need a break Sasuke? I can take Shikako." The Uchiha is looking tired. It seems that his chakra system is still out of sorts.

"I've got her." He grunts.

They continue on and make it to their destination just before dawn. No one greets them and it is agreed that they should open the scrolls now. Two proctors show up but only one stays. Apparently, he was a teacher of Team 7's before they became Genin. There is an undercurrent between them but Gaara doesn't know what it is. Iruka-san seems to be hinting at something to the Leaf ninja but they part on good enough terms. The Sand Siblings are quickly shown to a room separate from the Leaf team. The room is empty but Gaara knows that this isn't a private room at all.

"So..." Kankuro starts. "Orochimaru."

"I don't see what he has to gain by showing up like that." Temari admitted.

"He wants the Uchiha." Gaara states.

"But why not just grab him?" Kankuro asks. "It's not like Team 7 could have stopped him."

"Maybe he wants to make a point." Temari suggested. "He hates Leaf after all. Maybe he wants to rub it in their faces that they can't keep their Last Uchiha safe."

"I don't think that's true." Hashi-san says. "That seal was something different. It looked like it might have corrupted Sasuke-kun if left alone."

Gaara sits with that idea as they all chew on what this means for the Invasion. It could be good news. Surely there will be heightened security and make it more difficult to attack. On the other hand, if Father gets word of this, he might decide that Leaf is weak because of this incident and double down on the Invasion.

"You should get some sleep." Gaara tells his siblings. "You'll need your strength for later."

Kankuro snorts at that. "No kidding."

~

Their rest is interrupted almost half a day later when Naruto arrives to their room with another Leaf ninja.

"Hey!" He says with a smile. "We're going to get some food. Want to join us?"

There is literally nothing that could make Gaara say no. They all follow them to a kitchen where they get enough food to feed a small army though the other Leaf ninja, Choji Akimichi, acts like it's not enough for an afternoon snack. Naruto chatters about everything and nothing on the journey until he has managed to drag everything back to his team's room. Two other Leaf teams are there and they eye the Sand Siblings warily. But Naruto insists that they are cool and Shikako vouches for them as well and just like that, the Leaf nin no longer have a problem with their presence. At least, beyond sitting opposite to them. Hashi-san stands over Gaara's shoulder and gives him a run down of the Clans in the room.

"The boy with sun glasses is an Aburame. His Clan was the second clan to come to Konoha after the Senju and the Uchiha made peace. There are part of a most noble Clans. The little girl, isn't she adorable? next to him is a Hyuuga. Main House too. Team 10's got all the Akimichi-Nara-Yamanaka trio so I think I was wrong about Shikako being heir. It might be her brother. The Inuzuka came in later but you'll never find people more loyal. Just don't injure their dogs." Hashi-san chatters, Gaara half listening to him, half listening to the others talk about their run ins in the Forest of Death. There isn't much that can be discussed considering that they come from different countries. Naruto and Kankuro keep the talk going. The others joining in without a problem.

This is perhaps the best thing that Gaara could have hoped for. He knows that this is fragile but the friendship is there. Surely this will help them when dealing with the adults or the Hokage.

"You're doing great." Hashi-san tells him. "This will turn into something amazing. I just now it."


	4. AKA Gaara tries not to kill someone and it's more difficult than it looks

**Day Six:**

Six teams make it through the Second Exam. This was more than anyone was expecting so a Preliminary Exam is put into effect. It is one on one fighting. Winner gets to be part of the Third Exam. It is another phase that shouldn't be difficult except that there are too many Leaf ninja competing. Gaara doesn't believe that they won't have to fight one of them.

Two matches go by before he is proven correct. Sasuke was up first and it appears that he has finally managed to adjust to the seal Shikako devised for him. He defeats Yorio Akado with minimal issues. After that it is Kankuro verses a Leaf ninja that they do not know. The Sand Siblings say nothing to each other as Kankuro leaves for his match. Even if they wanted to, it would be unwise since they are standing with the Leaf ninja. A sign of faith. More Naruto's doing than anything else but they will take it.

The match up is an interesting one. Misumi specializes in close combat which is killer for a puppet master but he has yet to realize that Kankuro has already switched out for his puppet.

 _This is a test isn't it?_ Gaara thought as his eyes flickered between the match and the Hokage. _To see if we mean what we said. We cannot seriously harm if we do which puts us at a disadvantage. Are you trying to see if we will keep to our word under pressure?_

If that is so then Kankuro passes it with flying colors. When Misumi twists around the puppet like a serpent, the puppet's head snaps around and blasts him with a gas. Misumi falls to the ground and Kankuro reveals himself and retreats enough to be out of range. Misumi struggles to his feet. He stands for seven seconds before falling over and declared incapable of continuing. Kankuro's place in the Finals is secure and if Gaara remembers correctly, that color of gas indicates a sleep gas. Misumi will be fine.

Temari gets to congratulate Kankuro first as she meets him on the way down to her own match. This one is similarly lop-sided. The girl, TenTen, has skill but she prefers long range weapons. Against Temari in an open arena, she never had a chance. It takes a while for Temari to bring her down but she succeeds. TenTen will need to see a medic for her arm but it should be a simple matter to fix. Gaara locks gazes with the Hokage.

 _We mean it._ He conveys with his eyes. _I meant every word I said. We want an alliance._

The Hokage smiles slightly. It does not reach his eyes but the possibility is there. _Prove it._

Gaara did not get his chance right away. Inuzuka and Naruto face off first. Gaara is impressed when Naruto breaks out a dozen of Kage Bushin in an instant.

"That's really taxing." Hashi-san says after explaining the technique. "Most ninja could only make two or three at a time. The chakra cost is too high."

Gaara tilts his head in recognition. He makes a mental tally in the marker for Naruto being a Uzumaki by blood. Aburame and Akimichi fight next and Gaara looks over the rest of the competitors. His opponent will be a Leaf but also someone that he has not made friends with if the pattern holds. The Hokage wants him to fight someone who has no reason to hold back. That leaves only two options. One is a Hyuuga and the other the son of one of the Jonin-sensei. They look enough a like. Gaara hopes it is the Hyuuga. He knows a little on how they fight at least.

The Aburame passes, Shikako forfeits her match against her brother, and Gaara does not get his wish. The two Hyuuga are set against each other. The match is brutal and personal in a way that makes Gaara want to separate the two so they can finish the fight in private. To display such a inter-family feud to outsiders would have been incredibly shameful in Suna. The Leaf ninja are more angry at Neji Hyuuga's beatdown of Hinata Hyuuga than his indiscretion. Sasuke has to be restrained from leaping into the fray and Naruto swears to defeat Neji after the match is over. Gaara has little time to dwell on it before he is required to go down to the arena.

He teleports to save time and his opponent jumps down a moment later.

"Let us have a most Youthful match!" He, Rock Lee, exclaims. Gaara is not sure what that means exactly but responds anyway.

"Yes."

"Begin!"

Lee opens with taijutsu. Gaara let's his sand take the blows and sends it out when Lee retreats. He is too weak to break through Gaara's shield but not slow enough to be easily caught. He will have to wear the boy down until he can be caught. Gaara wishes they were in Suna. This match would be already over if they were. Having to depend only on his personal sand is limiting. Especially when there is nothing he can break down to make more.

"Will you surrender?" Gaara asks when Lee leaps back unto on of the statues beside the monitor. The boy is un-winded as is Gaara.

"Never! I will fight until my body can no longer carry me!"

 _This is going to be a very long fight._ Gaara sighs internally.

"Lee!" His father calls from the balcony. "Take them off!"

"Are you sure Gai-sensei?"

"Yes!"

Gaara watches as Lee removes some weights from his legs. He has no idea what Lee thinks that will do. Or, he doesn't until the cause twin explosions when they hit the ground. Then it becomes very, _very_ clear what Lee thought they would do. The boy's speed...Gaara has never seen anything like it. He's faster than Baki-sensei. Faster than anyone he has ever faced. Only Father's gold dust technique is quicker but, like Gaara's, that is controlled by the mind. Not the body. The one tailed jinchuriki is caught flat footed as Lee get's past his shield.

"You need to predict where he is going to be!" Hashi-san tells him.

"I'm aware." Gaara retorts. The sting from the blows lingers as he gets to his feet. Only Father has ever managed to harm before and he is unused to the feeling. He starts using his hands to direct the sand, speeding it up in the process. He thins it out, forming a net like pattern that limits Lee's options more than the blobs did before. It gets Lee to back off for a brief moment. Gaara decides to stop playing around and pulls out all of his sand from his gourd. Shukaku is howling in his cage.

**BLOOD! BLOOD! GIVE ME BLOOD AND BONES!**

_Never._ Gaara directs at his beast.

Shukaku hisses and seethes at that. He attempts to force his chakra through as Lee goes on the offensive once more.

"Focus. You can do this." Hashi-san voice soothes. "You are strong enough to do this. You won't let the beast win! I believe in you!"

Lee opens what he calls a Celestial Gate and Gaara sees an opening that will both work and hurt. He lets Lee hit him hard enough that Lee can grab him for a technique. As they are hurtling towards the ground, Gaara teleports out of his sand armor and into some sand that he left on the ground. As the dust clears but before Lee realizes what has happened, Gaara reveals himself and has sand entangle around the boy's right arm and leg.

_**BLOOD AND BONES YOU FUCKING BRAT!** _

It would be so easy to do so. Just a thought and Lee's limbs would be nothing but a lump of red. So easy. Gaara doesn't entertain it for a second. As Lee tries to pull himself out, the harder Gaara drags him down. The Prime Lotus must have worn him out a lot as Gaara has no difficulty subduing him now that he is caught. After he is fulling engulfed, the proctor calls the match in Gaara's favor. Relief floods him and he lets the sand return to his gourd. Lee shakily gets to his feet. Dejection is in every line of his body that isn't overcome by exhaustion. His Father immediately appears next to him. There is a lot of hugging and tears and oaths to do better that Gaara doesn't understand and is pretty sure he doesn't want to. Rather than pay attention to them, he looks up at the Hokage. The ruler of Leaf has an honest smile on his face. If Gaara wasn't so tired he would return it.

His brother and sister come down along with the other competitors. The matches up for the Finals are drawn. Gaara is fighting second against Sasuke, Temari is third against Yamanaka, and Kankuro has the bye. Not the worst match ups they could have had. They have seen what the others can do and while a month is enough time to improve it will not leave a lot of room for sudden advances. The Sand Siblings linger as the rest of the teams file out.

"You should rest." The Hokage tells them. "I'm sure we will have plenty of time to talk before the Finals."

Gaara would like to start it now. They have only twenty-four days left. Father will want the alliance to be firm before he leaves Suna. Baki-sensei, however, feels the same as the Hokage.

"We will look forward to it. Thank you." He ushers students outside. "Patience. You have pulled off a miracle, do not ruin it by looking for a second."

"Yes, Baki-sensei." They mutter.

"Don't worry!" Hashi-san exclaims. "You're doing great!"

"It's not enough." Gaara tells him.

"It will be, downer-boy." Hashi-san says. "Just keep working on it. I'm sure it will all work out."


	5. AKA actual progress is made and Gaara questions how Hashirama become Hokage

**Day Eight**

The Sand Siblings have spent the days since the Second Exam trying to figure out how to inform Father of Orochimaru's actions. This cannot be ignored but it has to be handled delicately. They don't want to tip Father into attacking nor do they want to alert Konoha about their possible pact with the missing nin nor do they want Orochimaru to learn what their true goal is here. It does not help that the Hokage has yet to call on them. It makes even Gaara anxious. Did he mean what he said or is he stringing them along?

The Sand Siblings make a half-hearted attempt to keep up their skills in a Konoha training ground under Baki's critical eye to relieve some of the tension. Everything feels like it is on a knife edge. It is here that Shikako finds them in around sunset. Her hands are throughly bandages but she is walking fine. Oddly enough, her teammates are no where to be seen. Gaara assumes that this is a good sign. Shikako must feel comfortable enough to approach them with only the hint of back up. (Gaara knows that they are being watched even if he cannot tell by who.)

"Hello." She says a little awkwardly when they stop practicing and meet her. "How are you doing?"

"Well." Gaara answers her. "How are your hands?"

"They're alright. Medics told me that I should have full function back in a couple of weeks. Thank you," She aims the last part at Kankuro. "It would have been worse without you."

Kankuro shrugs her off. "You Leaf ninja aren't the only ones that know how to patch people up."

Temari is clearly trying to resist rolling her eyes at her brother. "We were just glad to help."

There's a beat of awkward silence as none of them know what to say next. Shikako says something thankfully.

"So, um, I wanted to invited you for dinner at my house tonight." That is _excellent_ news.

"It would be our pleasure. Thank you." Gaara says.

"What time should we show up?" Kankuro asks.

"Well, dinner's in a hour but you can come with me. I was just about to walk home."

More time with one of the Clans of Konohagakure.

"If you don't mind, we'd like that." Gaara says.

They take time to clean up the training ground and do a circuit to make sure that they have not left anything but broken trees before following Shikako through the streets of Konohagakure. They are busy this time of day as people make their way home. Their group is given as much space as is necessary form them to move on but no more.

"My students tell me that you managed to do some impressive sealing during the Second Exam." Baki-sensei says. It's a leading statement but they have been walking in silence so it is welcomed.

"That was mostly my soul guide." Shikako brushes off. "Mito's speciality was sealing."

"Still, to do what you did is impressive." Baki-sensei repeats.

"No more impressive than taking down Lee without injuring him." Shikako insists. Gaara doesn't know Lee's standing in Leaf to know if that is a complement or not. "Have you seen much of Konoha?"

"No, there hasn't been much time." Gaara says. They also do not want to appear to be snooping around.

"That's too bad. There's a lot of neat places to see especially since it is spring time." Shikako starts to tell them about a few places they should see before they leave and Temari and Kankuro chime in with places that Shikako should look at if she ever visits Suna. Gaara would like to add but he suddenly finds himself busy with Hashirama.

"You need to get her a red pin wheel." Hashirama insists. He's even more energetic than usual. Gaara shoots him a look that asks 'why'? "They were Mito's favorite. You need to give her one."

Gaara wonders why Hashirama cares enough to want to give a gift to another soul guide when he remembers the name of Hashirama Senju's wife. He tilts his head in such a way that Hashirama knows he is asking 'are you sure it's her?'

"Absolutely! I thought at first Shikako's sealing style was just because of how much Uzumaki contributed to Konoha's style but Mito's name _can't_ be a coincidence! It also explains how she was able to adjust the seal while it was forming. Mito was brilliant. She and Tobirama would compete against each other for the best sealing work all the time. It has to be my darling red lotus."

The look that Hashirama gets on his face is so incredibly sappy that Gaara has to look away. It doesn't help. Hashirama bounces between estacticness about Mtio being a soul guide at the same time as him to sulking over Gaara's refusal to do any of the things he wants to do to giddily trying to come up with a way to talk to his wife. Gaara wonders how on earth a man like this managed to form the first ever Hidden Village.

He also ignores him. Gaara is not going to make things more complicated by trying to woo the soul guide of Shikako for Hashirama's sake. Every ounce of willpower that Gaara has learned ignoring Shukaku is now directed at Hashirama. This is completely necessary. Hashirama gets increasing more persistent as the walk goes on. It is a good thing that he is naturally silent as no one questions why Gaara says little.

The gates of the Nara Clan are guarded but a wave from Shikako allows them entry. The compound is much more spread out than anything that Suna has. The Main Family houses is bracketed by forests and there are deer that nibble at the grass all around it. Shikamaru and what Gaara can only assume are the twin's parents are waiting for them at the door.

"Welcome." The father calls out. "I'm Shikaku and this is my wife, Yoshino. I'm sure you already met Shikamaru."

"Yes," Gaara says, still ignoring Hashirama. "Thank you for inviting us. We appreciate you allowing us to split bread with you."

Shikaku smiles a little. "There's no need to be so formal. We don't care much for ceremony here."

This seems to be a running theme with Leaf ninja.

"Sasuke and Naruto are putting dinner on the table." Yoshino mentions. "Come inside before it gets cold."

So, this is where Shikako's teammates have been. Hopefully, the Suna ninja will get a chance to continue building their friendship with them as well. There's a bit of shuffling as people find a seat but they manage it fine. The Sand Siblings sit on one side of the table with Shikako while Sasuke, Naruto, Yoshino, and Shikamaru sit across from them. Baki is on one end and Shikaku on the other. There's amibical silences as everyone passes dishes to each other and starts eating. At least there would be if Hashirama would shut up.

"Please! Just tell her I miss my little red lotus! Please!" Gaara feels a headache building. He's just lucky that Hashirama is still speaking from over his shoulder and isn't standing on the table in front of him. Hashirama goes to sulk in a corner and Gaara can now hear what the others are talking about. Naruto has gotten Kankuro into a conversation about movies that Sasuke and Shikamau have joined in. Baki and Shikaku are speaking about some battle where Suna wasn't fighting Konoha with Shikako and Temari listening interestingly. Gaara adds a few words to the latter until Hashirama starts pestering him again.

"Come on. Just one little gift." Blatant lies. Gaara knows that Hashirama never stops at one thing. "One little thing! Just tell her I miss my red home, the water of my life, and how beautiful she is and-"

"I am not saying that." Gaara finally speaks to Hashirama. There's questioning looks but most people clue in that he is speaking to his soul guide.

"Please!" How did this man ever become Hokage? Really, how?

"It is not going to happen." Gaara reaffirms.

"Problem?" Shikaku asks kindly.

"My soul guide wants me to pass on a message to Shikako's soul guide." That grabs the girl's attention. And everyone else's though most are politely attempting to eat and ignore it.

"Oh? Did they know Mito Uzumaki?"

"He was married to her."

Shikamaru spits out his drink all over Naruto who screeches in disgust. Shikako chokes on her food while Yoshino drops the bowl that she was holding out for Sasuke. Kankuro buries his face into his hands as Baki-sensei looks up to the ceiling as though to ask the stars why they chose this moment to punish him for his sins. Shikaku blinks at him. Temari smacks Shikako on the back before turning to her brother.

"You can't just drop that on a girl!" She hisses. Gaara blinks at her. He understands why it would be odd to say that Hashirama Senju is his soul guide but he doesn't understand why it particularly matters that he tells a girl this. His confusion must be obvious because Temari looks like she wants to go out into the desert and never be seen again.

"Who's your spirit guide?" Yoshino pulls herself together the quickest.

"Hashirama Senju."

"No way!" Naruto shouts. Gaara isn't sure if it is in disbelief or awe. He is still covered in water. "Really!?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" Shikaku asks. Gaara doesn't mind the question. At least he isn't out right dismissing the claim.

"Yes. If I had any doubts the Hokage Monument would have put them to rest."

Shikamaru is looking between Gaara and his father as though he is watching them throw kunai between each other. Shikako is staring at him with eyes so wide they threaten to engulf her face. Her head jerks upwards.

"Uh, Mito wants to tell you that it's good to know that her stupid little tree is okay." Shikako goes red at that but Hashirama is _ecstatic._ He keeps attempting to grab Gaara's shoulders to shake him. It is a very good thing he isn't corporeal. Gaara presumes it is only polite to answer her.

"Hashirama says he misses his," Gaara tries to pick the least embarrassing thing. "Little red lotus."

Shikako looks back up and seems to get confirmation that Gaara isn't lying.

"Thank you!" Hashirama says. Gaara goes back to ignoring him. Or tries to. The dinner is successfully derailed because Naruto can't get over the fact that Gaara has the First Hokage as a soul guide. He keeps pestering him with questions and speaking to his own soul guide and Hashirama keeps trying to get Gaara to say things to Mito which wouldn't be a problem accept Shikako is passing messages along from her soul guide and which requires Gaara to respond and the rest of the dinner is basically swapping messages and complaining about their soul guides. To which the soul guides are complaining back and it becomes very odd when a third of the conversation can't be heard by most people in the room.

The Suna ninja eventually leave. Gaara is not sure if that dinner went well or not.

"Mom just wants you to know," Temari begins. "That she loves you but you need to learn more about girls."

Gaara frowns. It never sits well with him when his mother reprimands him. How is he suppose to learn about girls away? Temari refuses to talk to him about after that one incident with the cactus and he knows no other girls his age. And even if he did, he has no time for this.

 

~

Danzo snorts as Hiruzen tells him what Shikaku reported on the dinner between his family and the Sand ninja.

"Lies." He dismisses. "A ploy to get us to consider this farce of an invitation to an alliance."

"I'm not so sure." Hiruzen responds, talking out his pipe. "Shikaku says the boy was ernest and passed the tests."

"There are ways to gather information about the First and his wife. He merely did his research before coming here. Hashirama-sama would never guide a Sand ninja. The boy is merely using his name to his own ends."

"I think this is very in character for the First." Sometimes, Danzo forgets how old Hiruzen is. In these moments he is reminded that age has caught up to his friend. Butsuma agrees with him.

"You are senile if you think that." Danzo tells him.

"Really?" Hiruzen lights his pipe. "Are you telling me that attempting to get two nations to become friends solely because he wanted to end a feud that has been going on for generations, protect his home, and his family of spirit if not blood isn't _exactly_ something Hashirama-sama would have done?"

There is utter silence in the room.

"...but he didn't." Danzo says eventually.

"We'll agree to disagree on that point. What we really need to consider is how to approach this alliance."

"You do remember that Sand is amassing their ninja correct? This alliance is clearly an attempt to get us to lower our guard before they attack."

"Quite possibly, but it wouldn't hurt to pretend to play along. If they are lying then we will take them by surprise and if the children speak the truth then we will gain an ally before the Fourth Shinobi War breaks out." It is good to see that Hiruzen hasn't completely lost his edge.

"The children might believe their words but the Kazekage will never ally with us."

"We will see when he comes to the Finals."

"If Sand was looking for allies they would have chosen Rock." Danzo points out, again.

"Something might have happened in the Land of Wind," Hiruzen repeats is point as well. "There might have been an incident that we don't know about but those children do. Onoki is old and has grudges against everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if he has done something to Sand in an attempt to sabotage their war preparations. You know as well as I do that Sand and Mist are dangerously weak right now. If Cloud targets one of them and they have no allies they will be crushed."

"Then let them be crushed. It will mean less enemies for us to deal with."

"It will mean that we will not have anyone to fight on our side. We still haven't recovered from the Kyuubi Attack or...the Massacre. It would be best to keep our options open."

Danzo chafes at that but the Hokage has made his decision. This time it is moderately rational. Danzo will let this play out at least until the Kazekage comes and he can show Hiruzen that he was being a fool.


End file.
